PAIN TEENS is distinguished from other rock groups mainly by Scott Ayer's guitar playing- a unique sound that combined swamplike psychedelia and twisted, effects-laden sounds. Bliss Blood's disturbing lyrics and icy delivery helped the PAIN TEENS sound like no other band on earth.
Beginning in 1987, PAIN TEENS released nine out-of-print cassette tapes and two LPs on their own Anomie Records label. Soon after, they released four LPs for Trance Records, an Austin, Texas label run by King Coffee of the band Butthole Surfers.
The live version of the band went through several lineups, including Steve Cook on bass, Ralf Armin on guitar, David Parker and Bart Enoch on drums in 1988, followed by Kirk Carr on bass and Frank Garymartin on drums. They ceased performing live in 1993, after touring with the Boredoms, Fudge Tunnel, Brutal Truth & Season to Risk in that year.
Bliss Blood moved to New York City in 1995 after the release of their sixth full length release, "Beast of Dreams", and formed The Moonlighters with Henry Bogdan from Helmet; Delta Dreambox, a 1920's style blues band; Voodoo Suite, a 1950's exotica lounge jazz group, the "crime jazz"-style Nightcall with Stu Spasm from Lubricated Goat, and many other projects. She currently lives in Brooklyn.
Scott Ayers and Frank Garymartin continued playing together in their new band Walking Timebombs, releasing several cds, Culturcide, Truth Decay, and Anarchitex. In 2009 Scott Ayers began performing solo under the name GelTab, which has been described as "ambient/country", and later started the band Dead Links, which has a heavy progressive rock sound and one album release so far. Other projects include the Electric Knives (psych/punk/noise) and Dead Cowboys (country/folk/blues/americana)
Kirk Carr died of cancer in May 2008.
Living Hell
Pain Teens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Big girls don't complain and big boys don't cry
As you murder my soul, I keep it all inside
The hate that I feel will have to hide
Souls can be murdered but they cannot be denied
Sadness and anger fill me like the tears I never cried
You taught me so well, I can't tell you what's wrong
So I'll demonstrate the tortures that made me strong
If I tell them about me, they'll laugh at me
I will always be alone because I cannot tell
No one to tell of my living hell
The lyrics of Pain Teens' "Living Hell" are written from the perspective of someone who experiences an excruciating and suffocating emotional pain. The opening line, "Crushing pain, my soul shall die," sets the tone for the rest of the lyrics, as it conveys a deep sense of despair and hopelessness. The second line, "Big girls don't complain and big boys don't cry," is an interesting statement that reveals the societal expectations that are imposed on individuals, especially when it comes to expressing their feelings. The singer feels like they need to keep everything inside, despite the murder of their soul that is happening from within.
The third line, "As you murder my soul, I keep it all inside," suggests that someone else is inflicting the singer, which correlates with the pain and hate brewing inside of them. The hate that the singer feels can't be displayed, but rather must be hidden. The next few lines, "Souls can be murdered but they cannot be denied, sadness and anger fill me like the tears I never cried," depict the internal turmoil and emotional chaos they're going through. It's so intense that it has left them feeling numb, almost like they can't cry anymore.
The chorus, "You taught me so well, I can't tell you what's wrong, so I'll demonstrate the tortures that made me strong," is a startling statement that reveals how the singer understands the pain they feel, yet can't find the words to express it. Instead, they've learned to internalize it, and it's become a force that strengthens them. The next verse, "Nobody loves me because nobody knows me if I tell them about me, they'll laugh at me, I will always be alone because I cannot tell," shows the singer's isolation and hopelessness since they feel no one understands them. These lyrics reveal the weight and impact of emotional pain on an individual and emphasizes the direness of the situation.
Line by Line Meaning
Crushing pain, my soul shall die
The agony I'm going through is so intense that it feels like my soul will perish
Big girls don't complain and big boys don't cry
Society teaches us that expressing our emotions is a sign of weakness, and we must therefore put on a brave face even if it pains us
As you murder my soul, I keep it all inside
Though you're wrecking me from within, I choose to bury my feelings deep inside me instead of venting them out
The hate that I feel will have to hide
My intense dislike for what you're putting me through has to be swept under the rug because I'm too terrified to speak up
Souls can be murdered but they cannot be denied
You might make an effort to crush my soul, but you'll never be able to claim it for yourself
Sadness and anger fill me like the tears I never cried
My heart is flooded with sadness and rage, akin to the tears I've held back for so long
You taught me so well, I can't tell you what's wrong
You've conditioned me so well that I find it impossible to divulge what's wrong to you, because I fear being ridiculed or dismissed
So I'll demonstrate the tortures that made me strong
I'll prove to you that I'm tough by hiding my own pain, even if it's torturous for me mentally and emotionally
Nobody loves me because nobody knows me
People can't show me love, because they aren't fully aware of what I'm going through internally
If I tell them about me, they'll laugh at me
I'm too afraid to reveal my pain, as I think they'll ridicule me and my plight
I will always be alone because I cannot tell
I'll remain isolated because I'm unable to share my emotions with the people around me
No one to tell of my living hell
I have nobody to confide in and share the agony I'm going through every single day
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind